Thumbprint Memories
by Take
Summary: Slight shonen ai hints; K/H; Sometimes, it's the little things that can remind us of the best things in life.


*Standard disclaimers*  
  
**Shonen ai hints**  
  
Thumbprint Memories  
  
Take (Nov. '99 - May '00)  
  
  
  
Kurama was dreaming.  
  
The kitsune snuggled deeper into his bed, wrapping the thick covers closer around himself; he was safe in a nice warm cocoon of his own making. He was a worm, a worm in a cocoon; the rest of the world was outside the soft fabric swathing his slightly curled form. The cold world. Kurama murmured sleepily and stuck his nose under the covers; even with the window shut the air was chilly, and his nose was getting numb. He was a worm he was a worm . . .  
  
Suddenly, the slumbering redhead became aware of a weight settling on his waist, straddling him. He'd be squished! Kurama jolted into semi- awareness, fighting down dream-residue panic - oh. It was Hiei. With a disgruntled huff and a bleary-eyed glare, Kurama burrowed deeper under the blankets.  
  
"K'rama . . ."  
  
He was a worm a worm a worm . . .  
  
"Fox . . ."  
  
Snug as a bug . . .  
  
"Kitsuneeee . . . "  
  
Argh, screw it. "Nanda?!"  
  
Hiei blinked at the glittering emerald stare being leveled at him. Frowning, the fire youkai sat thoughtfully for a few moments. "I forgot." He gave a very un-Hiei-esque pout. "Aren't you glad to see me?"  
  
Kurama levered himself up as best he could, being that his arms were trapped close to his body. "Are you drunk?" he demanded. He'd had a long day, and he needed to get a good night's sleep; he planned on getting an early start tomorrow.  
  
Hiei shook his head. "Iya." He paused. "Though I *did* have a drink or two with Mukuro before I left." The fire demon frowned. "So you're not glad to see me?"  
  
Kurama sighed. Oh, he was much gladder to see the smaller demon than he let on - not that he'd ever let Hiei know that. "Of course I am Hiei," he assured his friend. "You just surprised me, that's all." He shifted under the fire demon. "It's amazing that Mukuro let you go so early - I wasn't expecting you until some time tomorrow." Privately Kurama had his suspicions about Hiei's early 'release' and his buzzed state. An image of the Makai Lord's knowing smirk popped into his mind. That woman . . .  
  
Pushing the temptation to take Mukuro's unsubtle hint and jump his friend's bones firmly out of his mind, Kurama twisted and tumbled Hiei off of him. The dark youkai made an indignant sound but lay where he'd sprawled. "Go to sleep," Kurama told him, re-spreading his blankets over the two of them.  
  
A faint snore was his only response.  
  
Kurama sighed.  
  
* * *  
  
Hiei cracked open a crimson eye and hissed; thinking back, he could recall joining Mukuro for a few drinks - then somehow making his way to Kurama's house. Damn, but Mukuro liked her liquor hard. Hiei resolved to drink more cautiously with his Lord on future occasions. Luckily, he had only a slight headache to show for his pains [1], but he might not be so fortunate the next time.  
  
Rising, Hiei quickly downed the packet of ground herbs left by the bed. Making his way downstairs, he could hear Kurama as he moved around the kitchen; the fox's ningen family was out, so Hiei wandered towards the sounds of activity.  
  
"Ohayo Hiei," the redhead greeted as he appeared in the doorway. "There's some rice and soup if you want any."  
  
The fire demon nodded and made himself some breakfast. Taking a seat at the table, Hiei watched as Kurama took various ingredients out and measured them into a bowl. He took a moment to admire the youko's slender profile as the attractive redhead chewed his lower lip, scanning the writing on an index card.  
  
Kurama picked up the sugar and measured out the required amount, adding it to the bowl that contained the softened butter. He could feel the heat of Hiei's gaze on him as he busied himself creaming the butter and sugar, taking care to ensure that there were no lumps. He added vanilla extract to the mixture, then flour, making dough. Kurama set the bowl on the table and got out cookie sheets. Under Hiei's mildly curious scrutiny, the youko began rolling bits of dough into balls and placing them on the sheets in neat rows.  
  
"What are you making?" Hiei finally asked. It was the first time he'd ever seen Kurama baking.  
  
"Hmm? I'm making thumbprint cookies," Kurama replied, starting on a second pan.  
  
"Thumbprint cookies?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
Hiei pondered this. "What's the occasion?"  
  
Kurama was silent as he thought of his response, his hands continuing to roll out the dough. "There's no real reason except for the holidays, I guess," he finally said. "Though this particular cookie has more sentimental value than others."  
  
Hiei raised an inquiring eyebrow; briefly he wondered at his interest in knowing something so personal about the redhead before him. Shrugging mentally he brushed it aside, putting it off to his instinctive response of noting things that could be exploited as weaknesses.  
  
Kurama cocked his head, considering the small ball of dough in his hand. "'Kaasan always made this kind of cookie when I was young. I still remember helping her fill the indentations with jam, like this," he demonstrated, placing the balls onto the sheet and using a thumb to create a dent in the dough. "I haven't made these in years." Kurama smiled reaching for a jar of jam. "Making it now brings back memories I'd almost forgotten."  
  
Hiei absorbed this in silence, watching as the kitsune slid the metal sheets into the oven. "I don't understand you, fox," he finally said. "You attach so much importance to things that are moments in time for us. Mere blinks in our lives." He tilted his head curiously, no trace of his mocking, arrogant mask visible. Just Hiei, trying to understand his friend.  
  
Kurama noted this and took a seat beside the fire demon. He gave his words careful thought, trying to give voice to his feelings. "It's hard to explain," he said finally, picking at bits of dough stuck on his long fingers. "Sometimes, things are the best way to remember something." Seeing Hiei's puzzled lift of an eyebrow, Kurama huffed, struggling to find the right words. "It's like the object - a song, a picture, cookies -" he indicated to the bowl of dough, "stimulates your senses, and becomes the key to unlocking a certain memory." His eye fell on the hiruiseki hanging around Hiei's neck. "Like your teargem. It gives you a sense of connection to your mother and Yukina, na?" He caught the flash of comprehension on Hiei's face and nodded.  
  
Kurama toyed with the spoon he'd used to fill the cookies, dipping it into the jam. "Whenever I make these, I remember helping 'Kaasan when I was a child and what it felt like. Though, " he amended with a crooked smile, "it always seemed like I was making more of a mess than dough." The youko looked up at his silent companion. "The point was - is - I'm making memories."  
  
"Naze? The closer you get, the more it'll hurt when your mother dies. You're setting yourself up for a lot of grief, kitsune," Hiei pointed out.  
  
Kurama inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Maybe. But I don't want to have regrets. Inari-sama knows I have too many of those. I think I'd regret it more if 'Kaasan died and I didn't have good times to remember her by."  
  
"Hn." Hiei absorbed this, thinking it over.  
  
The timer rang and Kurama rose to take the first batch out of the oven, replacing the trays with new ones. Hiei watched through lidded eyes as the youko set the hot round shapes out to cool then began rolling more dough. His gaze wandered over the pale elegant hands that could deal death so casually; hands that were now molding dough into mushy little balls with brisk efficiency. Kurama was still very much a mysterious blend of contradictions - albeit a fascinating one - to him. And though he would deny it to any who asked, Hiei found himself wanting to know more of the complicated creature before him - just because.  
  
Making memories, hmm?  
  
"Want help?" he asked.  
  
Kurama blinked at him in surprise, then smiled.  
  
  
  
~Owari  
  
  
  
********  
  
[1] Would that we were all so lucky. I hear hangovers are not to be envied.^^  
  
Author's notes:  
  
It's become a tradition to bake around Christmas time. Now that I'm in college, it's become harder to make time to do so, but we always pull it off somehow. Thumbprint cookies are a regular. Have a happy holiday season! 


End file.
